Remarks of
Judge Paul Knierim
at his Swearing-In Ceremony as
Probate Court Administrator,
October 1, 2008

Good morning and thank you for taking time from your busy
schedules to attend this ceremony. I know how precious your
time is, and I want you to know how much I appreciate your
coming. The day would not be the same without you.

About 35 years ago, in 1973, I remember coming to this
beautiful courtroom and watching as my father, Glenn, was
sworn in as probate court administrator. In truth, the most
memorable part of the day was being allowed to have ice
cream at lunch Ė bear in mind that I was 8 years old at the
time. But something about the experience obviously stuck
with me. As far as I know, probate is not genetic, but it
did somehow find its way into my blood.

Itís been a very special thing for me to follow in my
fatherís footsteps as judge of probate in Simsbury and now
as administrator. So allow me to introduce my parents, Glenn
and Gloria, who of course need no introduction at all for
many of you. I know of no two people who more epitomize
integrity, compassion, and wisdom. And who have been ever
stalwart in their support of me, despite the twists and
turns along the way Ė and I suppose there have been a few.

May I also introduce you to my partner Greg. Heís the fun
one, according to my 13-year-old niece. I mean no disrespect
to any of you, of course, but Gregís company is the part of
the day that I most look forward to. Iím very glad that my
brother and sister-in-law are also here, Chip and Linda. The
law seems to run in the family -- Chip is also an attorney,
and I have two nephews in law school now. Please also meet
my sister, Lynne, who drove all the way from Jamestown,
Rhode Island this morning, and who works in the non-profit
sector.

Iíd like to express my great appreciation to Chief
Justice Rogers for appointing me as administrator. At least
I think a thank you is appropriate Ė Iím certainly hoping
that I can still feel grateful a year from now! I do want to
say how much I respect and admire the Chief Justice. She is
a leader of great skill and intellect, and her focus on
building public trust and confidence in the courts is a very
fitting example for all of us in the probate system. I am
very enthused to have her as my new boss.

Iíd also like to express special thanks also to Chief
Court Administrator Barbara M. Quinn. Judge Quinn has been
most supportive during this period of transition and I am
very grateful for the excellent guidance that she has given
me. I might add that Iíve enjoyed getting to know the staff
here at judicial administration, and look forward to our
ongoing collaboration.

I am very honored that former Chief Justice Ellen Peters
is with us today. Chief Justice Peters gave me my first job
out of law school, as a law clerk. It was a tremendous
experience to work for such a brilliant jurist Ė even if I
could barely keep up with her. I learned so many things that
year that have stayed with me throughout my career, and I am
very thankful to have had the opportunity.

I want to extend a thank you and welcome all of my
colleagues from the probate court system who are here today,
judges, clerks, and probate administration staff alike. Iíll
single out three people from that group Ė my co-workers
Julie Lavissiere, Debbie Trovato, and Pam Baldini. They keep
the Simsbury Probate Court running shipshape and I am
privileged to work with them. Iím happy to see that the
probate administration staff is also well represented today.
I know that Iím joining a team of distinguished
professionals today when I head over to 186 Newington Road
after the ceremony.

Special thanks to my predecessor, Judge Jim Lawlor, who
has guided the probate courts during a particularly
difficult period. His accomplishments are many, including
the innovative regional childrenís courts and the Melissa
Project to improve support for individuals with mental
illness. He has strengthened our continuing education
program, and he has worked to computerize all of our probate
courts. Additionally, Judge Lawlor has done some important
work across the street at the legislature as we figure out
how to handle our financial problems. So, on both a
professional and personal note, Judge Lawlor, thank you for
your dedication, your hard work, and your commitment to
improving the services we provide to the residents of this
state.

Also here today is another prior probate court
administrator, Judge Paul Kurmay. Paul had a great deal of
influence over my initial decision to run and has been a
mentor, trusted colleague and friend ever since.

And a note of thanks to my friends and colleagues from
various aspects of my previous walks of life who are here
today. Iím very glad to see you and appreciate your
presence.

As I said to the Probate Assembly just last week, I am
fully aware of the challenges that the probate system faces,
but I come to this new role with both enthusiasm and
optimism. My positive attitude springs from my knowledge
that the judges, clerks and administrative staff of the
probate system are dedicated and hard working professionals
who embrace an ethic of public service. We do have flaws,
but the hallmark of our system is our collective commitment
to providing compassionate and knowledgeable service to
individuals as they face some of the most difficult times of
their lives. What we do makes a positive difference in
peopleís lives. Whatever changes the future may bring about,
I think we can all agree that we should fight to preserve
this essential quality.

That said, like any other organization, we have
significant room for improvement. We must continually strive
to promote the highest professional and ethical standards,
while at the same time making sure that we do so in the most
cost-effective manner possible. We must also confront
head-on our two greatest challenges: No. 1, our financial
crisis, and No. 2, the significant erosion of public
confidence in our probate courts.

Our financial situation is sobering to say the least, and
the math isnít particularly complicated. In a nutshell, we
have a $3Ĺ million dollar deficit this fiscal year, a number
that is projected to balloon to nearly $6 million by 2010.
We have less than two years worth of savings in the bank to
cover the shortfall; if we do nothing, we will be bankrupt
by July 2010.

The judiciary is able to function only when the public
has trust in the courts. We cannot ignore the fact that many
are skeptical about both the competence and integrity of the
Connecticut probate courts. Let me just say, while I donít
believe that all of the criticism leveled at us has been
completely fair, the commentary has undeniably and
negatively influenced the publicís perception of our courts.
Moreover, our critics have been correct in some areas. We
need to implement changes that will strengthen our
professionalism and restore the publicís trust and
confidence in what we do.

To respond in a way that prompts constructive change, we
in the probate community must work together as a team. We
must step away from the extremes that have characterized
past debates and find common ground. Additionally, we must
work together with our external stakeholders Ė the executive
and legislative branches, the leadership of the Judicial
Branch, the bar associations, users of our courts, taxpayers
and groups with special concerns. They all have a
significant interest in our future, and our collective
success depends on an open dialogue with both our internal
and external audiences. And the time to do so is right
now, because we have precious little time to build the
necessary consensus as the critical 2009 legislative session
approaches.

Some of you have heard me relate the situation of the
probate system to a beloved old historic building on Main
Street in your town or city. The architecture of the
structure is lovely and irreplaceable; you and your family
have attended many events there. It is an icon of the
community.

But there are problems. The roof leaks. The wing added a
few years ago has cracks in the foundation. You canít hear a
thing inside, and the water heaterís about to blow. The
heating bills are enormous, and the Board of Finance is
demanding that something be done to reduce costs.

As I see it, the community has 3 options:

Number One: You let the building stand as is, ignoring
the problems, but knowing that it will eventually fall under
its own weight.

Number Two: You tear it down and build something brand
new.

Number Three: You take a hard look at the structure and
determine how to best use it. You make some choices about
whether every wing should be preserved. You perform repairs,
beyond the Band-aid approach, and make investments to make
it energy efficient. The restoration gives it a new lease on
life while preserving its heritage.

If that old building is a metaphor for the probate
system, I support option No. 3, and thatís why Iíve taken on
this new job. We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. Yet
amid the challenges are great opportunities. If we work
together, we can craft long-term solutions that will enable
us to do the best job possible in providing essential
services to the residents of Connecticut. I look forward to
working with all of you in that endeavor, and thank you
again for joining me today.